Gloriana Chamber Choir: Bach Magnificat

What better way to welcome in the Christmas season than with an all-Bach program?

For the fourth concert in our 2016 subscription series we present three of Bach’s most imposing works for Advent and Christmastide, all of which are new to our repertoire.

The Magnificat BWV 243 was first heard on Christmas Day 1723 at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Filled with vivid musical imagery and an intoxicating sense of joy, the Magnificat is one of Bach’s most celebrated works.

Cantata BWV 63, Christen ätzet diesen Tag is Bach’s earliest extant cantata for Christmas, most likely composed for Weimar in 1713. The festive character of the music is enhanced by the lavish instrumental forces required: in addition to strings and continuo, four trumpets, timpani and three oboes are called for – an unprecedented scoring in Bach’s cantatas.

Cantata BWV 191 Gloria in excelsis Deo is a later work, dating from 1745. The brilliant and colourful music in this cantata was later used by Bach in the Gloria of the Mass in B minor.

For this program, Gloriana is thrilled to be joined by a handpicked orchestra of period instrumentalists and a quartet of distinguished soloists.

We look forward to sharing this magnificent music with you.

Gloriana Chamber Choir and Chamber Players directed by Andrew Raiskums.

Soprano soloist: Erika Tandiono

Alto soloist: Hamish Gould

Tenor soloist: Timothy Reynolds

Bass soloist: Jerzy Kozlowski

Tickets: $35 ($15 Student Rush at the door)

Bookings: www.gloriana.com.au or call (03) 8319 0942